Richard Simmons died believing he was a “failure” and spent months fearing he would be “humiliated” by the upcoming biopic about his life, confidential sources say.
The hyperactive fitness guru, who built a mini-empire with his signature tank tops and shorts urging overweight people to exercise and change their diets, died of natural causes at his Southern California home on Saturday. He was 76.
Despite his success, Simmons never felt he had made it and was heartbroken not to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his decades-long career.
“Richard died thinking he had spent his whole life concentrating on his career and had never really achieved it,” a source told DailyMail.com.
“He didn’t see himself as the legendary icon that everyone else knew him to be in his golden years. He saw himself as a failure and throughout his life he never got the one thing he wanted: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It broke his heart.”
Richard Simmons died believing he was a “failure” and spent months fearing that the upcoming biopic about his life would leave him “humiliated”, sources close to him told DailyMail.com
The beloved fitness guru died of natural causes at his Southern California home on July 13. He was 76.
Simmons was a former 268-pound teenager who became a master of many media outlets, sharing his hard-earned weight-loss tips as host of the Emmy-winning daytime Richard Simmons Show and author of best-selling books and the Deal-A-Meal diet plan.
Her daytime talk show aired on 200 stations in the United States, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and South America. Her first book, Never Say Diet, was a bestseller.
He was known for advising severely obese people, including Rosalie Bradford, who held the record for being the world’s heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons with helping him lose 700 pounds.
After gaining a legion of fans with his infectious enthusiasm and positivity, Simmons stepped away from the spotlight in 2014.
In 2017, she was ordered to foot the National Enquirer’s legal bill following her failed attempt to sue the magazine for defamation after it published a cover story in 2016 saying she was transitioning to a woman.
At the time, the court ruled that identifying a person as transgender does not necessarily expose them to “hatred, contempt or ridicule” and would not be considered defamatory in nature.
“Even if this characteristic may be considered in practice to be despised by a part of the population, the court will not validate these prejudices by legally recognising them,” the judge added.
Simmons previously confirmed that she was not transgender and even created a list of concrete reasons why in an ongoing explosive lawsuit with the publisher.
Simmons, pictured in 2013, was left heartbroken that he never received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
During his impressive career, the fitness trainer hosted his own Emmy-winning daytime talk show, The Richard Simmons Show.
From Simmons humiliation on the demand motivated its initial reluctance to give his blessing to the upcoming biopic about his life, starring Pauly Shore, as he feared exposing himself to further pain and public ridicule.
“He felt humiliated by some of the things that happened over the past few years and feels like he let down his true fans,” the source said. “That’s why he just wanted to be left alone.”
“He was always searching for an identity and trying to please everyone. The sad thing about his death was that after years of internal torture, he had finally reached a point where he was starting to move on and accept himself.”
“Richard initially didn’t approve because he didn’t like looking at himself in the mirror,” the source said.
‘He never rewatched any of his old videos or any of his appearances because he was so critical of himself. He felt cornered.
‘He cared a lot about his fans, but he was very worried about being the butt of jokes. He tried to stand his ground on this occasion for fear of being humiliated even further, but Pauly assured him that wouldn’t happen.
Simmons was also apprehensive about the upcoming biopic about his life, with insiders claiming he “wasn’t ready to look at his life because he had so much pain and regret.”
Pauly Shore, who portrayed Simmons in a short film titled The Court Jester, will also play him in the upcoming biopic.
‘Pauly wanted to involve him in the process and told Richard he didn’t want to hurt him. In the end, he felt honored by the fact that a movie was being made about him.
“But he wasn’t ready to face his life because he felt so much pain and regret. He died without knowing what an icon he was.”
Shore previously portrayed Simmons in the short film The Court Jester, which was written and directed by Jake Lewis.
The 10-minute project received a standing ovation when it premiered in Park City, Utah, in January.
At the time, Simmons denied the biopic, telling fans that she had not given her permission.
“You may have heard that they might make a movie about me with Pauly Shore,” she wrote on Facebook.
“I never gave my permission for this movie. I no longer have a manager or publicist. I’m just trying to live a quiet and peaceful life. Thank you for all your love and support.”
Throughout his career, Simmons was a reliable critic of fad diets, always emphasizing healthy eating and exercise plans (pictured with singer Katy Perry in 2013).
It came a day after she declined to participate in interviews, writing: “I wanted everyone to know that I’m okay and happy. A lot of people have asked me for interviews.
“But I don’t want to do that right now. It’s a gray and rainy day here in Los Angeles, but my heart is full of your kindness towards me.”
Simmons’ publicist confirmed his death in a statement to The Associated Press on Saturday but gave no further details.
Los Angeles police and firefighters responded to a home, whose address the AP matched to Simmons’ through public records, where a man was pronounced dead of natural causes.
Simmons had revealed a skin cancer diagnosis in March 2024, a day after scaring fans with “some news” that she was dying.